Beauty through Ayurveda

[Guest guest]

Dear Members,

 

We have been discussing food many days, during the summer days, when

water requirement exceeds that of food. Let us see how one can obtain

beauty of the body and mind through food. "you become what you eat;

hence eat what looks naturally beautiful, appeals to palete and makes

you happy" is the moral of the story. Veg/Nonveg classification is

out of this discussion. Since ayurveda is the science of longevity

rather than curing diseases, one should learn healthy lifestyle

rather than medicines.

 

Everyone wants to look beautiful and he attempts different techniques

to be beautiful. The media also publishes a number of advertisements

selling cosmetics, body building gadgets, etc. Ayurveda gives maximum

importance to diet when beauty and health is concerned. Intellectuals,

poets and novelists have extensively described the beauty of womans

body; on the other hand, philosophers deal with beauty of mind/soul

rather than body. For women, the beauty of both body and intellect

is very important. Many women, who are not beautiful by body, possess

a keen and alert mind, and their intelligence quotient is high.

 

Many women exhibit both body beauty as well as beautiful mind.

According to ancient acharyas of ayurveda however, the beauty means balance

of all doshas of the body and mind. Kapha, Pitta and Vata, when

balanced in their usual seats, body can be treated as healthy. Any

unbalance of three humors causes body to become unhealthy. The

effect of unbalance is seen on the body. Today, many are adopting

Ayurveda due to side effects of modern medical science. One can

obtain benefits without side effects by making proper use of

Ayurvedic medicines and herbs. Mostly, ayurvedic medicines are

innocent, by using them in proper amount, one can not only obtain

benefits, but even avoid some chronic ailments. To understand ayurveda and to

follow it in everyday life, one must be working hard continuously.

 

There are a number of herbs around us, in our neighborhood, which are

useful directly or indirectly to humanity. They grow according to

type of soil and environment available. Using these plants optimally,

one can avoid ailments and also remain healthy throughout. Firstly,

one must remain alert to see that disease does not enter the body at

all. For this, life-style becomes important. The remedies to cure the

disease come only next.

 

Many assume that ayurveda requires very strict diet control. This is

not true for many cases. If we consider personal health, it contains

three temporal phases: Daily routine ("din-charya"), Night routine

("Ratri-charya") and Seasonal routine ("Rutu charya"). In daily

routine, one should get up early. Many, when told to get up early,

get tired of "Vaidya". But early rising keeps body fresh throughout

the day. The environment during early morning is very enlivening.

Total silence everywhere, except sound of birds. The mind becomes

very happy. In the beginning, getting up early becomes a little

difficult; but if one remains active after getting up, the whole day

goes "happy" and fruitful. This improves digestion. After getting up

early morning, one can take at least two glasses of water. If

possible, this water can be stored in a copper pot during night. This

water causes detoxification of body to some extent, as it flows out

of urine and stools. It reduces constipation, and helps in diseases

of stomach, obesity, ailments of waist, head, neck and piles. In

the `night' routine, one should take dinner during early part of

night. Without remaining awake for most part of night, one should

retire to bed early, with calm and healthy thoughts.

 

Next comes seasonal routine: The diet and lifestyle must suit the

season. Thus in `Vasant' rutu (season) in India, and tropical

countries, one has to win over `Kapha', so rice, barley, grren moong,

snake gourd, brinjal, bitter and astringent foods give

benefits. `Greeshma' or summer causes reduction of body strength, but

detoxifies blood due to sweating. In winter one can take tonics,

rasayanas. In monsoon, the "agni" becomes weak, so one should take

food which is easy to digest, and which will not cause imbalance

of "Vata". In winter, everyone feels increased hunger, increased

digestive power and one should eat accordingly.

 

The beauty can be earned through food only. If one observes

discipline from time to time, the disease will also be kept away, and

one can remain healthy. Another important factor for beauty

is "happiness". People who remain happy, also become healthy and

beautiful. The beauty resides in eyes according to most poets. Health

also shows up by sparkle in eyes. Incidently, the ojas governs this

sparkle. Moment life disappears, eye sparkle disappears. Since we do

not wish to see such eyes, first action following death is to close

the eyes with force.

 

To appreciate this "ojas", glow etc. the author suggests a following

program for everyone. Show your face to a close friend before

starting the programme.

 

Start the morning at about 6 a.m., with 3-4 glasses of copper pot

stored water. If you cant drink that much drink as much as you can

comfortably. This water drinking is for whole week.

Fast on only warm water and Green gram soup once or twice a day, for

two days.

Take only vegetable soups for next two days.

Take veg. soups + Fruits for next three days.

No oil, ghee, other cooked food during this entire week.

 

If you feel weakness during the week, take adequate rest.

 

After seven days programme show your face to the same friend again

and let him give his opinion.

 

Dr. Bhate